Pits, seeds, and juice.

Grams bought seeded grapes the other day... and there is just something about the mature taste of seeded grapes. Seedless grapes can just not compare... neither can the juice unless it is made from seeded grapes, or fresh squeezed at the marché at Capitale, as I can attest from the thoughtfulness of Violet, back on a beautiful morning in Toulouse.

My first taste of mature grapes (with seeds) was in France, and while the seeds were not a pleasant surprise, the taste more than compensated for that unexpected crunch. That lucious taste, that burst of tangy sweetness exploding in your mouth... all as you bite down unsuspectingly. As I bit into a grape that Grams had brought home, it all came back to me. That first experience, and the second and the third... Thus, as I crunched my way through the first grape, that old adage about the highs and lows of life, and how its pitfalls make you enjoy everything else so much more, came back to me in demi-force, at least. This grape wouldn't taste so amazing without its pits, its seeds... if I didn't have to crunch through those seeds, I wouldn't enjoy the flavor of the grape quite so much. As silly as this all might seem, it strikes me that this little grape is a lesson that I hope to remember in the year ahead... as I embarque on my next great adventure, I hope that I hang onto the knowledge that this is all an adventure, and all my experiences will seem the richer from the good, the great, and the ... missteps.

Rants and rambles.

There isn't much for me to say tonight. I was thinking back to my last trip abroad tonight after talking with a co-worker about her experiences. We only spoke briefly, but we hit the usual topics of what we did, what we studied, host families, and how we learned to cope with the differences and the things beyond our control. It makes me pause and think about the emotions and possible events that lie ahead for me again. I'm becoming so anxious to return and see what happens this time around. This time too there isn't that necessity to return to what I've left behind... this time, I get to keep going forward. My other thought tonight was in regards to the Olympics. While I've never been an avid follower of the Olympics, I do have distinct memories of watching the Games throughout my life... and it amazes me, as it seems that there is little else, in a societal sense, that is so prevalent throughout our lives... (I also can't think of anything else this late, though I'm guessing there's a lot more than my tired mind can think of tonight.) So I've really said nothing tonight, but it's been amusing to me at least.

Getting started.

This is something new for me. I was studying abroad when blogging became popular on my college campus, and returning was an experience. It seemed everywhere I went on campus the word popped up, whether in table talk or as part of an assignment. In fact, huge issues on campus played out like soap operas on various blogs and the campus newspaper. So here I go, giving this blogging thing a try.

As I prepare to head out again, this time without the safety net of a study abroad program, I find that I want to share my "misadventures" with my family and friends in a whole new way. It seems as though this will let everyone enjoy my travels as much as myself.